Reason #1 of the 5 Reasons Families Fight Over Estates

1. Local/Distant Siblings

Disputes often arise when a “local” sibling provides care and support for a parent at the end of life, while the other sibling is “distant,” either physically, psychologically or otherwise. In this scenario, the local sibling typically “helps” with (i.e., controls) most aspects of the elderly parent’s life—including bank accounts, doctor appointments and care providers. Thus, the local sibling often feels entitled to more from the parent, regardless of the parent’s wishes.

Over time, the local sibling may use proximity to the parent to begin a “money grab.” For example, the local sibling is added as a signatory to the parent’s checking account, ostensibly for convenience. Sometimes the local sibling exercises such control over the parent that he or she orchestrates an entire new estate plan or arranges to be added as a joint tenant on the parent’s house. Very often it is not until the parent’s death that a distant sibling learns about what has happened. The distant sibling suspects undue influence on the part of the local sibling, and a dispute arises, often creating contentious litigation.